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Fox attacks 4-week-old baby boy at London home

The Associated Press

Updated:
02/10/2013 11:34:18 AM EST

LONDON—A 4-week-old baby has been attacked by a fox in his home in London, police said Sunday.

The baby boy was admitted to a hospital Wednesday after the fox injured one of his hands, Scotland Yard said. It didn't give details about how the fox entered the home or how serious the injury was, but British media said the fox bit one of the baby's fingers.

The boy was recovering after surgery, the reports said.

Reports of urban foxes attacking humans occur infrequently in Britain. In 2010, two twin baby girls were reportedly mauled by a fox while sleeping in their cots in a London home.

Some have called for a cull of the animals, which are a common sight at night in quieter areas of the capital. Mayor Boris Johnson said more needs to be done to tackle what he called a growing problem. "They may appear cuddly and romantic, but foxes are a pest and a menace, particularly in our cities," he said.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Animals said that it is "extremely unusual" for the animals to attack anyone.